Tritium from Nuclear Wastewater

Why in News?

Recently, a new study published a breakthrough method to filter tritium from nuclear wastewater, using a metal‑organic framework (MOF).

• Tritium – Radioactive isotope of hydrogen; forms tritiated water (HTO) when bonded with oxygen.
• Problem – Chemically identical to normal water, making separation extremely difficult.

Conventional Approach

• Materials inside the tower that provide surfaces where steam and liquid can interact.
• These packings just sit there; steam and liquid interact only because of gravity.

New Method – Metal‑Organic Framework (MOF)

• Stainless‑steel mesh coated with a metal‑organic framework called NH₂‑MIL‑101(Cr).
• MOF acts like a microscopic sponge, increasing surface area 32‑fold; more surface area means better contact between steam and liquid.
• The chromium‑oxygen clusters inside the MOF grab tritium atoms.
• They swap tritium with normal hydrogen atoms.
• Nitrogen and hydrogen groups in the MOF help this swapping process.
• Efficiency – Achieved 42.5 theoretical plates per metre separation efficiency, a record-setting figure in the world of chemical engineering.

This innovation helps tackle the problem of Japan releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean

Significance

• Environmental Protection – Reduces tritium release into oceans, mitigating ecological risks.
• Public Health – Tritium is easily absorbed by living organisms and rapidly distributed via blood.
• Nuclear Safety – Offers a practical alternative to dilution, addressing global concerns over Fukushima wastewater.
• Scientific Breakthrough – Nobel Prize‑winning work was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for the development of MOFs.

Reference

The Hindu | MOF